Robert Downey Jr. And Gwyneth Paltrow Appear In New 'Iron Man 2' Shots

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash have been dominating the swarm of new "Iron man 2" pics percolating across the net recently, but in the lead-up to Comic-Con this week, some new images of stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow have made their way to the public eye. The fresh images show RDJ as Tony Stark amid the wreckage of a racetrack mishap and Paltrow as Pepper Potts doing what she does best, looking like the pinnacle of professionalism behind an office table.

"I don't reckon someone expected how big the first ['Iron Man'] was going to be," Paltrow told USA Today, where the pics premiered. "Now they have kind of a relatives, a friendship, which is lovely because the pressure is on us to deliver again."

That pressure will no doubt be strong when the stars enter San Diego's Comic-Con International this week, where Marvel Comics loyalists will be expecting big things in the wake of the two actors' last on-screen appearance together, and they are keenly aware of who they will be talking to.

"This is about the toughest group there is to impress," said Downey Jr. "They're watching your footage, every four of them waiting to Twitter whether you suck."

there is a flip side to that risk, however, because no four will buzz up their movie quicker than an auditorium full of satisfied Comic-Con fans. And both Downey Jr. and Paltrow proved in the first "Iron Man" that they know how to work an audience.